Nicholas Kolakowski

Microsoft and Facebook have launched the beta version of Docs for Facebook, an online applications platform that lets Facebook users create and share Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents. The launch represents yet another escalation in the cloud-based productivity arena, where Microsoft finds itself in competition against Google and a growing host of smaller competitors. The […]

Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook suggested during the company’s April 20 earnings call that sales of the iPad had exceeded the company’s internal predictions, and that more capacity will be added to deal with demand. Cook also confirmed that the iPad had been priced “aggressively” to help establish a beachhead in the nascent consumer […]

Microsoft made a huge bet that Windows 7 would not only erase the stigma associated with Windows Vista, but also help its own flagging revenues by impelling a massive tech refresh on the part of businesses and consumers. In the months since the operating system’s October 2009 release, much of that bet seems to have […]

Salesforce.com announced on April 21 that it had entered into an agreement to acquire Jigsaw, a company that uses crowdsourcing to build and maintain an online database of business contacts. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of fiscal year 2011, with Salesforce.com reportedly paying around $142 million. Salesforce.com said it intends […]

Less than two days after rolling out the beta program of its cloud-based Windows Intune, a management system for IT administrators of midsize businesses, Microsoft announced that it had closed the offering to new users. “Due to the overwhelming response to the beta invitations, we are no longer accepting new participants into the Windows Intune […]

Five Windows 7 Issues Every IT Pro Needs to Know by Nicholas Kolakowski Issue 1: Lack of upgrade path between Windows XP and Windows 7. Explanation 1: Given the number of SMBs (small and midsize businesses) and enterprises running Windows XP, the lack of a direct upgrade path to Windows 7 continues to represent an […]

Whether or not the smartphone prototype found in a California bar turns out to be Apple’s next iPhone, a letter between Apple’s general counsel and tech blog Gizmodo seems to confirm that the device did indeed originate in Apple’s labs. “It has come to our attention that Gizmodo is currently in possession of a device […]

Apple posted strong sales and revenue for the second quarter of fiscal 2010, buoyed by strong sales of both Macs and iPhones. Although Apple executives declined to break out exact sales numbers for Apple’s newest flagship product, the iPad, they indicated during an April 20 earnings call that sales for the tablet PC were likewise […]

Microsoft unveiled Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010, an ERP platform for midsize businesses, on April 20. The software includes business intelligence reporting tools, functionality for streamlining approval scenarios for daily workflow, and interoperability with Microsoft Office Unified Communications and other software. Using the software, a warehouse manager could detect any depletion in supplies and reprovision with […]

Apple will release the 3G-enabled version of its iPad to its retail channel on April 30, the same day it anticipates delivering the device to those customers who preordered the tablet PC early. The company will also offer “a free Personal Setup service” to customers who purchase the iPad in-store, including e-mail and mobile-app setup. […]

Microsoft announced the beta rollout of its Windows Intune, a cloud-based management system for the IT administrators of midsize businesses, on April 19. Microsoft intends for Intune to give those administrators an enterprise-style level of control over a network, but with the reduced costs assumed to come with adopting a cloud infrastructure. Around 1,000 organizations […]

Microsoft announced that Office 2010, SharePoint 2010, Visio 2010 and Project 2010 have reached their release-to-manufacturing milestone on April 15, bringing one step closer to release a host of products that the company hopes will allow it to maintain its market share in the productivity arena. “RTM is the final engineering milestone of a product […]